Disney Slates ‘Mary Poppins’ Sequel for Christmas 2018 Release

We basically already knew that in Disney’s sequel to Mary Poppins, with Broadway superstar and Hamilton creator also in talks for a role. Thankfully, those all-but-confirmed “rumors” are actually true.

Disney has officially announced that Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda will star in the upcoming Mary Poppins Returns. Moreover, the film will be released on December 25, 2018, priming the movie musical for holiday box office domination.

Blunt will star as Mary Poppins with Miranda as a new character — a street lamplighter named Jack. As Disney’s official press release reads:

Drawing from the wealth of material in P.L. Travers’ seven additional novels, the story will take place in Depression-era London (when the books were originally written) and follows a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, who, along with Michael’s three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following a personal loss. Through her unique magical skills, and with the aid of her friend Jack, she helps the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives.

Plenty of Musical Talent

The upcoming film will be directed by Rob Marshall, who most recently helmed Disney’s big screen musical adaptation of Into the Woods, which also starred Blunt. Marshall will work from a script written by Oscar nominee David Magee, with original songs by Tony Award winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The duo is perhaps best known for composing the songs for Broadway hit Hairspray. Of course Lin-Manuel Miranda also has an impressive Broadway pedigree, having written and starred in the musical In the Heights before making Broadway history with Hamilton. While he isn’t writing the music for the new film, there’s no doubt Miranda will have some influence on the new songs.

For his part, Marshall seems excited by the new project. In a statement along with the announcement, the director said:

“I am truly humbled and honored to be asked by Disney to bring P.L. Travers’ further adventures to the screen. The iconic original film means so much to me personally, and I look forward to creating an original movie musical that can bring Mary Poppins, and her message that childlike wonder can be found in even the most challenging of times, to a whole new generation.”

Still from ‘Into the Woods.’

While Mary Poppins Returns is a proper sequel to the original Mary Poppins, the film follows Disney’s trend of revitalizing old properties with . The Jungle Book was a major hit for the company earlier this year, with currently in theaters and set for a March 2017 release. Generally speaking, the trend has brought Disney major box office success, and with a solid cast and expert musical talent Mary Poppins Returns could be another huge hit.

Mary Poppins Returns hits theaters December 25, 2018. Are you excited for the upcoming sequel? Do we need another Mary Poppins movie? Let us know in the comments below.